Week 1 Welcome!

A chalk artist in Trafalgar Square created flags of the world to welcome travelers to London. I dropped a coin on the USA flag.

9/15/15: I spent my first full day unpacking my luggage, and rearranging the kitchen and bathroom. I also explored a few grocery stores- clearly very important adventures on my first day in a new city.

9/16/15 and 9/17/15: Anne arrives! We explore Covent Garden (more of a shopping neighborhood), Picadilly Circus (the theater district), and Trafalgar Square (similar feeling to the area around the NY Met).

Drinks at the Old Queens Head pub, a block from our apartment.

Balloon art installation at Covent Garden. There is also live music in the square ranging from jazz to opera.

Battersea Pie for lunch. We split a chicken and mushroom pie with mash….gravy made the meal!

A double decker bus, Big Ben, and a waving flag! Nice shot, Anne!

Dinner at Tayyab’s (get the potato, carrot, and fenugreek curry and the chicken tikka app). We got to the restaurant without a phone or map, just the old fashioned “ask a local” strategy. Nice job, us!

9/18/15: I slept in, though Anne had to get on a 7am train to Paris. Friday was a bit more wandering through the neighborhood. Check out this canal route that I found on mapmyrun. The Regent’s Canal is lined with slightly overgrown greenery, small shops and houseboats in use! I know that this will become a regular favorite of mine.

Open air cafes, pubs, and even small design shops. Very tempting to explore these rather than continue my run!

Art installation of 300 + birdhouses. Being a wilderness explorer means looking all around you!

A piece of home follows me to London. This artist has pieces all over Harlem and I couldn’t believe I found this during my first week here! Someone who walks the street of Harlem is with me in London.

The Regent’s Canal still has working locks and the homes along the canal have flower beds, lines for laundry, and colorfully painted sterns.

9/19/15: Corey and I worked out both days this weekend at the gym in our courtyard. I tried the steamroom for the first time, and can’t wait to have access to all of the classes when my healthcare kicks in.

We travelled out to Kew Bontanical gardens since it was a gorgeous day. Then we went out to Corey’s favorite Indian restaurant, Lahore. There is definitely a rivalry between Lahore and Tayyab’s that I’m sure will make its way into this blog more than a few times.Lahore’s lamb chops are better than Tayyab’s and the chicken haleem was delicious (weekend special). We walked through brick lane and smaller neighborhoods to make our way back to our flat * (apartment).

Corey is a great navigator, and I can identify all types of plants, but we’re both pretty awful at selfies. This was after the 5th try and we basically realized that the waterfountain would just need to remain in our memory because we weren’t going to capture it this way.

Corey says I’m supppsed to write the caption for this as #nofilter. Anyone who knows me knows that I have no clue what that means.

My favorite was the area near the Princess of Wales conservatory which was a garden of locally grown veggies and flowers. Corey learned how carrots and broccoli grow 🙂

These reminded me of goldback ferns found in the redwood groves in Northern California. You can rub them onto your jeans to make a print on your leg.

9/20/15: We went to the Pig and Butcher for Sunday roast (similar to brunch). Then met up with one of Corey’s good friends to shoot a music video, and finally ended the evening at the Hippodrome casino, where locals and expats watch American football. It won’t be my last visit there during this season, though many of the games are at 1:30 am!

I forgot to take a picture of our meal but I’ll include an old shot from the Albion restaurant that we went to on my first visit across the pond. Usually a roast comes with Yorkshire pudding (puffy pastry) and potatoes.

That’s the recap of my first full week! I am excited to share our trip to Portugal, so I’ll be ready to post againsoon.
Welcome back, BK and safe travels, Anne!

Shout out to Nibette for hooking me up with my first meet up with an American friend.

Shoutout to girlcar for chains that involve 40+ texts to keep me in the loop when I wake up each morning.

Shoutout to FaceTime for allowing me to virtually tour my family through my flat and for keeping me connected no matter how many miles away.

5 responses to “Week 1 Welcome!”

Jannie

September 21, 2015 at 4:30 pm

pls keep the pics coming! Georgie will tell you that London is a favorite fave of mine and I’ve actually been to a few of the places you show – Kew Gardens, Regent’s Canal. SOOOO happy for you to explore London for me! ps love the birdhouses!

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Tracy

September 21, 2015 at 11:17 pm

I’m so glad you’re documenting this experience! Can’t wait to FaceTime!

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Jessi Cutter

September 22, 2015 at 2:48 am

Love you!!! Your first week sounds AWESOME!!!! Can’t wait for the next post!

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1. tkforrest
  
  October 20, 2015 at 6:13 pm
  
  Hi! I am figuring out how to respond to people’s comments. Haha. Love you too and I’ve posted a bit more since I’ve been out here. I can’t believe a month has flown by!
  
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Caity

September 23, 2015 at 3:26 am

Great pictures Miko, I love how you’re featuring food and little moments of beauty like the birdhouses and the balloons. I’m definitely experiencing London vicariously through your blog. Keep adventuring!

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